FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK
This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Cheesesteak Races, puppy lounges and how brands responded to “ColdplayGate.”
PEEPS AND PUPS INDULGE IN SHIPT’S SWEET DELIVERY TOUR
What’s better than enjoying a free scoop of ice cream in the middle of summer? Enjoying that treat with your dog. Oh yes, along its colorful, three-stop Sweet Delivery Tour, Shipt featured a selection of its retail partners, including PetSmart, which ensured that four-legged family members were part of the summer fun. The retro-themed tour hit Kansas City, MO (July 6), Des Moines, IA (July 9), and Cleveland, OH (July 12), with Shipt and its partners serving up complimentary scoops, mini activations and giveaways.
At each stop, brand ambassadors donning branded green-and-white-striped uniforms and soda jerk hats set the tone. Adding to the experience, Shipt’s grocery partners, Hy-Vee and Giant Eagle/Market District, provided attendees with complimentary scoops of owned-brand ice creams and toppings, giving consumers a chance to choose their own combination, or spin a wheel for a surprise combo.
Plus, in its dedicated puppy lounge, PetSmart provided water bowls, treats and a green tennis ball or plush ice cream toy for doggos, as well as a “head-in-a-hole” photo op that had pups posing as the “cherry on top” of an ice cream sundae. And CVS was incorporated into the experience through a display of summer essentials, like sunscreen and chapstick, that consumers could use while on-site, or take home in sample sizes.
Those who didn’t want ice cream (we have a lot of questions for these people) scored a branded, striped pouch filled with partner goodies, including a chapstick or green eye pencil from CVS, a green tennis ball from PetSmart, custom stickers and a Shipt promo card. Pawesome. (Agency: Factory360)
Photos: Courtesy of Shipt
THE AFFAIR MEME’D ’ROUND THE WORLD: BRANDS RESPOND TO ‘COLDPLAYGATE’
Unless your head was buried in the sand last week (and if it was, more power to you), you’ve seen the fallout of a Kiss Cam moment gone awry at a Coldplay concert—and all of the brutally hilarious jokes it incited online.
For those unacquainted with “ColdplayGate”, the ceo and h.r. chief from Astronomer were caught canoodling (then hastily hiding themselves) on a Kiss Cam at Coldplay’s Foxborough, MA, show on July 16. The problem? They’re both married—and not to each other.
The affair seen ’round the world became an instant meme, even inspiring a few brands to jump on the band wagon. In addition to a number of baseball games played over the weekend during which teams encouraged couples to reenact the viral moment on their own Kiss Cams (the Phillies did it best), companies like StubHub, Tesla, Netflix and ESPN’s “Sportscenter” offered their own take on the scenario. Oh, and get this—someone also took the time to craft a 16-bit video game starring the couple.
It may have been for the wrong reasons, but ColdplayGate brought the entire internet together, if only for a short time. And for that, we’re grateful.
KIND’S FROZEN BARS ARE DELIVERED VIA ICE LUGE IN NYC
Shipt isn’t the only one leaning into sweet treats and nostalgia this summer. On National Ice Cream Day, which this year landed on July 20, Kind Snacks hyped up its line of plant-based Frozen bars with a one-day pop-up in NYC that was anchored by “vintage parlor vibes.”
The whole affair, which took place at Leon’s Bagels, was dripping in joy. There were bubbles floating through the air, a musical performance by the Satin Dollz, Kind Frozen bars delivered via ice luges, photo moments and even an old-school gumball machine that yielded swag. Now that’s what we’d call a sweet escape. Cue Gwen Stefani.
Photo credit: Quentin Mui for Kind Snacks
BIG WHEELS, BIG MEATS: ARBY’S HOSTS THE GREAT CHEESESTEAK RACE
In June, we witnessed Oscar Mayer and the Wienie 500. This month, Arby’s entered the chat with the Great Cheesesteak Race.
To celebrate its NASCAR partnership and position as the “official meats” of the third annual Chicago Street Race on July 6, the brand invited fans to face off in a competition of their own. And in a showdown that earned them Arby’s Angus Cheesesteaks, a group of participants hopped on custom Big Wheel-style trikes and spun around a mini track at Fan Fest for a chance at meaty bragging rights, and, naturally, the Great Arby’s Cheesesteak Race trophy. (Agency: Momentum Worldwide)
Photos: Courtesy of Arby’s
DETROITERS DIAL UP A GLP-1-FRIENDLY PIZZA DELIVERY SERVICE
The widespread use of Ozempic and similar GLP-1 medications has given rise to a range of GLP-1-friendly foods, like Nestlé-owned brand Vital Pursuit’s new line of frozen pizzas, billed as the first and only GLP-1-friendly ’zas on the market. So to spread its messaging, and its slices, around one of the country’s top pizza destinations—Detroit—the company launched a “GLP-1ZZA” delivery service from July 10-12.
It was a classic pizza delivery experience built for a new era. All consumers in the area had to do was call the Vital Pursuit Delivery Service at 1-844-GLP-1ZZA and a team showed up to their door with two pizza varieties, the Max Pro Cheese Lovers and Cauliflower Crust Pepperoni, delivered in custom-designed boxes.
Over 72 hours, hundreds of Vital Pursuit pizzas were delivered across 19 zip codes, including a special stop at a Tigers game. An OOH campaign that ran throughout Detroit, influencer partnerships and a plug from a local broadcast news team added some extra cheese on top. (Agency: VML)
Photos: Courtesy of Nestlé
